Chapter 31. The Birthday

The van is still dark when I open my eyes. Kisses on my cheek are what wake me up as I lie on my side. Edward is on his hands and knees, caging me in, all minty fresh breath and damp hair.

"Hmm…" I close my eyes back up, moaning as his thumb caresses the arm that's looped under my pillow. "Why are you awake already?"

"I want to take you somewhere," he says in a whisper.

"Right now?"

"Yes…" He peppers kisses on my neck, pulling down the shirt I'm wearing—his shirt—to then kiss my shoulder.

"What time is it?" I turn on my back and crane my neck to look at the window for any sign that morning is near. It's still pitch black outside.

"Way too early," he admits, kneeling on the bed, his hands reaching for mine, and he interlocks our fingers. "But we'll drive there. No hiking, I promise. Please?"

"Okay…" I let him pull me up, with an overdramatic groan, as if I'd ever deny him.

"Thank you." He kisses my forehead and gets down from the bed.

I rub the sleepiness out of my eyes, while he finishes putting everything away for a drive. He has already cleaned up from our dinner last night, and I wonder how long he's been up or if he even slept at all.

After a few human minutes, we're on our way. The drive is short and he parks the van on a desolate cliff, the moonlight giving us just enough light to see the ocean in front of us.

"This is the highest spot on this coast," he says, exiting the van before quickly circling around the front and opening my door. "I promise it'll be worth it." His smile is sweet as he rubs a thumb on my cheek.

He holds my hand and pulls me to the side of the van, where the little ladder reaches up to the top. He turns to me with a hand on the railing. "Ladies first?"

"We're going on the roof?"

He nods at me excitedly before helping me up and guides me to the front of the van, gesturing for me to sit. I do as he requests and sit crisscrossed, the dark sky splattered with stars and the ocean in front of me.

He stands behind me, and when I look up at him, he's gazing at the sky.

"We made it," he says proudly, smiling down at me. "I'll be right back."

By the time he's back up, the sky is starting to lighten. He brings up a blanket, which he wraps over my shoulders, after handing me a cup of steaming coffee.

He lowers himself next to me, his own mug in hand.

"Thank you." I inch closer to him and plant a kiss on his lips.

"Eyes on the water, or you'll miss it." Wrapping an arm arm over my shoulders, he pulls me to him, and we both look out over the cliff.

"Wow…" My breath catches in my throat at the beauty in front of me. Golden rays peek behind the mountains, creating a halo around their black silhouette. The sky brightens in greens, blues, and yellows while the clouds get an orange and lilac tint. The water glistens, and in another minute or two, the sky is bright and the sun is out.

Edward rubs his hand up and down my arm, over the blanket, holding me close to him.

"You were right. That was so worth it." I turn to him and kiss his cheek, and when I look at him, he's staring back at me, the sunrise reflected in his eyes. He opens and closes his mouth, as if he's struggling to say something, until his fingers wrap behind my head, and he brings my forehead to his lips.

"Happy birthday, Bella," he murmurs, lips grazing my skin.

I pull my head back in shock, looking at him with raised eyebrows. "How did you—"

"You said September; did you really expect me not to ask?"

"Who told you?"

"Well, I asked Emmett first, but he didn't even know." He rolls his eyes with a chuckle. "But then Rosalie told me."

"I don't really celebrate my birthday." I twist my fingers over my legs, looking down.

"Yeah, she told me that too."

"I just… something bad always happens on my birthday. It's cursed." I shrug and hear him sigh next to me.

"Isn't that a little too superstitious for a scientist?" There's humor in his tone, and when I turn to him, his lips are stretching into a grin. "You don't really believe your birthday is cursed, Bella, do you?"

"It's true. On my seventh birthday, there was an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico."

"Bella…" He laughs softly, pulling me to him.

"It's also the date Tupac died."

"Tupac?" He laughs louder. "I didn't peg you for a rap music kind of girl."

"I'm not. But still. I just…" I stare at my hands with a sigh. "I don't know. I don't like my birthday."

"It's okay. I get it. We don't have to celebrate." His hand rubs up and down my arm, holding me tightly.

"This was really sweet though." I look up at his face; the stubble that covers his jaw shines under the morning sun. "Thank you."

"I was hoping you'd feel that way and that you'll forgive me for this." He pulls something from his pocket and reaches for my hand, dropping the item on my palm. A handmade, green macrame bracelet, braided around a wood-carved sea turtle charm.

"Edward…" My breath catches in my throat at the thought he put behind this.

"It's not really for your birthday," he adds quickly, almost embarrassedly, and the next words come in a whisper. "Just something to keep me in your mind."

"You're already in my mind," I say, smiling at him. "All. The. Time." I inspect the bracelet as he chuckles. The knitted cords are almost turquoise in color. It reminds me of the waterfalls we went to on our first adventure. "Edward, it's beautiful. Did you make it?"

He nods, taking it from me and helping me put it on. He tightens the straps and brings my wrist to his lips, kissing it softly before moving my hand to his hair.

I run my fingers in his hair the way I know he loves, and he closes his eyes, leaning into it. When he opens his eyes, he brings me to him and I melt under his lips, under his hands, on the roof of his van.

He breaks the kiss for air, smiling against my lips. "I do have one more thing for today. It's from my list. Just a coincidence that it fell on this date."

"Right..." I narrow my eyes at him, my heart beating wildly for this man. Other parts of my body feel like they have a heartbeat too.

The words burn in my throat. I love him. I'm so in love with him. But I'm leaving at the end of the month, and I don't know where he stands on this.

I look down at the turtle bracelet, "something to keep me in your mind," and I wonder if he's feeling it too—if my imminent departure is weighing on him too.

From the beginning, we said we would just take it easy and see where it goes, but I think in reality, neither of us thought we'd get so close so fast.

I was definitely naive. The more I got to know Edward, I quickly realized he is not the kind of guy you have a one-night stand with. He's not the kind of guy you just have a summer fling with. Edward is the kind of guy you fall deep and hard for. All at once. And for good.

I don't tell him I love him; I can't, but I show him instead.

I don't think making love on the roof of his van in the early morning of my birthday was originally on his list, but it's exactly what we do.

Maybe my birthday isn't cursed after all.

~~o~~

After having breakfast at Sue's, we head to the piers, where Edward has arranged a motor boat. He's setting stuff inside the boat while I shift on my feet on top of the wooden planks of the pier. I cringe when I see the bag of what looks like fishing gear, which includes a pole that ends in a hook.

"What are we doing?" I ask, biting my lip. I'm not against people fishing for sustenance, but I doubt that's what we're doing. And I don't think Edward would bring me fishing for recreation. He knows me better than that. But I am nervous. Because fishing is exactly what it looks like we're doing.

"It's a surprise." He reaches his hand out to mine, helping me get on the boat.

"Are we going fishing?"

"No, Bella." He snorts a little. "We're not pulling defenseless animals out of their habitats for the sole purpose of our entertainment."

I laugh in relief.

"What's all that stuff for then?" I gesture at the bag on the floor, and he shakes his head.

"You'll see." He pulls out a bright orange life vest, lowering it over my neck and securing the strap behind my back. Maybe "vest" is a stretch. An overstatement. It's the type of clunky flotation device that just loops around your neck.

"Sexy?" I say, putting my bucket hat back on.

"Always." With shiny eyes and a crooked smile, he moves around me, getting things ready around the boat. "Safety is sexy, if you ask me."

"Where's your life jacket?"

"You being here on this boat," he says, reaching a hand to my face. "That's all the life jacket I need." He kisses my cheek and heads to the steering wheel and throttle, fussing with the controls and taking the driver's seat.

I sit in the passenger's seat as he starts the engine, and off we go.

We ride the coastline for less than an hour until he slows down the boat, going into the bay. He's looking at the water and the rocks as if trying to choose the right spot. Then he kills the engine and drops an anchor from the back of the boat.

I look around us—there's nothing but water and rocks in the small bay.

"What are we doing?" I try not to sound too impatient, but his silence is killing me.

He secures the line to the anchor and turns to look at me with a smile. "I want to show you instead of telling you. Is that okay?"

"Okaaaay." I pout and blow my bangs off my face with a huff, while I struggle to unclasp the strap of the life vest behind my back.

Edward comes closer and helps, but when I unwrap the orange piece from my neck, it catches on something, and before I can help it, my mom's necklace is getting pulled off my neck and swung off the boat.

"Oh no, my necklace!" I see it go in the water with the tiniest of splashes and I whimper.

No, no, no, no.

Without a word, Edward is off the boat, diving in behind it.

My eyes well up with tears. If I lose my mom's necklace, I'll be devastated. It looks deep where we are, and panic sets over me quickly and grows the longer he is underwater. I can't see Edward anymore, and the tears now spill from my face.

It feels like it's been minutes, but realistically probably only seconds, when he finally resurfaces.

"I couldn't get to it." He pants, reaching up and holding on to the boat on his forearms. "But I could see it."

My hands are on my face as I try to contain my tears, because I know it's just a necklace, and it's a material thing, but it was my mom's and I've had it my whole life. Of course I would lose it on my birthday!

"Hey…" His fingers reach for my knee, feeling cool from the water, tapping on it until I look up from my hands. "I can get it,"

"How?"

"What do you mean how?" He lets out a small laugh. "I'll go down and get it."

"You just said you couldn't."

"I couldn't then. I didn't have enough air. And it's deep." When his eyes meet mine, he smiles, bright and broadly, like it's nothing, like he's not struggling for breath. "It's also caught between two rocks and I can't reach it, can't squeeze my hand in there."

"Edward…"

"Can you hand me that bar?" He holds on to the boat with one arm, while his hand points at the metal hook bar piled with his fishing gear. "I just need some leverage to lift the rock. There are snorkeling masks in the other bag. Can you hand me one of those too, please?"

That's when I notice his right hand, bleeding from his knuckles. "Edward, your hand."

"It's just a scratch." Before I can approach him, he hides his hand in the water, his face composed. "Can you get the bar, please?"

"I really don't think this is a good idea." I turn my back to him to grab the bar and the mask, and when I return to the edge of the boat, he has his eyes closed, chin over his forearm, taking deeper, calming breaths.

I realize he's preparing to dive back in, and my nerves multiply. "Hey." With a hand over his fingers, I lower myself to the edge of the boat. "You don't have to," I say through a sniffle, now worried about him. "You really don't. It's okay."

When his fingers intertwine with mine, he lets out a long exhale. "Bella, it's no big deal. Don't worry." He keeps his eyes closed and my fingers in his.

I watch him do his breathing exercises. He looks so peaceful. I notice his right hand, just under the water, and the traces of blood still around it.

"Are there sharks here?" My eyes roam the water, suddenly paranoid.

The corners of his lips turn up, but his eyes remain closed. "There are no sharks here," he says through a small laugh, before he controls his breathing again. "Don't distract me," he adds calmly, composing his face. "Please."

I want to ask him not to do this. To forget about the necklace. But the words are stuck in my throat.

He opens his eyes, puffing his cheeks in an exhale.

He grabs the bar and looks at me before putting the mask on. "Be right back," he says in a playful tone, takes a deep breath, and goes down again.

I peek my head over the edge of the boat and watch his image blur until it disappears in the depth of the water.

My mind assaults me with worst-case scenarios, since it's my birthday and all. Him running out of air or his hand getting stuck under a rock. Him not coming back out.

My eyes are focused on the spot in the water where he disappeared into and the little bubbles coming to the surface. I'm debating whether I could dive in to help him, when he resurfaces.

"I got it!" he announces proudly with one solid "ha!", taking the mask off and flicking his hair out of his face with a shake of his head.

Relief washes through me, at him being back, at my necklace he proudly dangles from a closed fist. He reaches to the boat, throws the bar and masks in, and pulls himself up, splashing water around us.

"Are you okay?" I'm on my knees in front of him as he sits and rests back against the side of the boat. He's panting, but otherwise seems fine.

"Thank you for not dying." I wrap my arms around his neck, the water on his body seeping through my shirt.

"You thought I was going to die?" he asks through a small laugh, his breathing now more under control.

"I don't know. I was worried." I wipe the tears from my eyes, sitting back over my feet.

"Bella, I'm fine." He reaches a hand to the side of my face, his thumb rubbing over my cheek. "It was nothing." Pulling himself up, his hands reach behind my neck and secure my necklace back on.

"It wasn't nothing. It was everything." I cup his face in my hands and kiss him. "Thank you." I swallow the rest of the words I want to tell him. That I love him. That he's everything. That I've never felt remotely close to this for anyone before.

"No problem," he says with a proud smile. He doesn't have to say it, but I know… I know he knows what this means to me. "Okay," he says, getting up and reaching a hand down to me. "Ready for our next adventure?"

~~o~~

We float on the surface, swimming closer to the rocks, snorkels and masks on, looking into the water while Edward holds my hand. The water is crystal clear, and I can see the bottom. It's slightly frightening how deep it looks, but the closer we get to the rocks the shallower it seems. I'm not exactly sure what we're looking for, but I enjoy looking at the few fish we encounter.

When Edward squeezes my hand, I look at him and he's pointing down. I squint my eyes until I see it, almost camouflaged at the bottom: a large green sea turtle. A Chelonia mydas.

He gestures at me to wait before he lets go of my hand and dives in. It's immediately clear there's something wrong with this turtle, the way it moves its front legs and the way it lets Edward come near.

Wrapping his hand on its shell, Edward brings the turtle up, closer to me. That's when I can see it, the remnants of a fishing net wrapped around its neck, and it becomes clear what he wants, what he's doing, what we are doing.

I help Edward hold the turtle by its shell, as he takes his pocket knife out. Carefully and meticulously, Edward cuts the pieces of net, releasing the poor turtle's neck and front legs, until it's able to freely swim away.

"Oh my god!" I say as I break the surface, and Edward's smile is as bright as the sun. "Was that just our luck?"

He shakes his head softly, floating in front of me. "There's something about the current around here that seems to bring injured animals about. Especially turtles stuck in nets or plastic bags. I was hoping we'd see some. I bet we'll find more if you're up for it."

"Are you kidding me?" I swim close to him, removing my mask before holding on to his neck. He removes his mask too, flicking his hair off his forehead. "Best birthday ever!"

~~o~~